After many reschedules and cancellations, the great news is that FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX is back, and the countdown has begun to the big weekend.
Tickets are still available as Cardiff gets ready to celebrate its 20th visit to Principality Stadium this weekend, on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August, full details at the bottom of this page. Also a little further down, you can see how SPG are the supporting the charity BLOOD BIKE WALES.
This really is fast and furious family fun, The FIM British Speedway Grand Prix has a host of celebrations planned to mark the occasion.
With three British riders in the World Championship Series this year including three-time World Champion TAI WOFFINDEN who is eager to secure his first ever home win at Cardiff, the stage is set for some thrilling on track action as fans gear up to watch 16 riders – 15 permanent and 1 wild card – compete over 23 heats; four riders over four laps on 500cc bikes with no brakes!
More on the event shortly. First of all, it was our first chance to take a look at the track which is almost set for the big day tomorrow (Saturday). There was also the first preview press conference which featured feature British stars Tai Woffinden, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley and Adam Ellis, plus Speedway GP World Championship leader Bartosz Zmarzlik.
We were there to take a look around and catch up with Tai and Dan before they took to the track.
After a three-year absence, Britain’s biggest arena motorsport event roars back into the Welsh capital with an action-packed weekend on and off the track.
As well as the Speedway GP stars going wheel-to-wheel, organisers have plenty of surprises lined up to toast two decades of World-Championship motorsport in Cardiff – with a fanzone taking over the city on the Saturday, before racing gets started at 5pm.
And the action continues on Sunday, August 14th at 1pm, when the Principality Stadium hosts the FIM SGP2 of Great Britain – the second round of the revamped FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
With entry to this meeting included in the FIM British Speedway GP ticket price, make sure you’re part of Cardiff’s biggest-ever speedway weekend.
If you’ve never been to the event before here’s our SUPERFAST SPEEDWAY FACTS………..
16 riders – 15 permanent and 1 wild card – plus track reserves compete at each Grand Prix meeting, over 23 heats
- Each rider races 5 times and meets every other rider in the meeting at least once
- All heats are run with a maximum of 4 riders over 4 laps
- 23 starts, 23 finishes: you don’t know who has won until the final second
- 500cc bikes with no brakes
- Bikes run on methanol – an environmentally friendly fuel made from potatoes!
- Approximately 3,500 tonnes of bespoke track material originating from a quarry in Derbyshire stored permanently in a 6,500m3 warehouse
- Nearly 400 man hours to construct track from start to finish
- Two wheel-based loaders, two tracked excavators, one grader, two vibrating compactors, two tractors, two vibrating plates, one forklift and an experienced labour crew all work together within the confines of the stadium during construction
- Length of inside curb = 265.65m
- Length of outside perimeter (safety fence) = 344.36m
- Total track area = 3,582.62m2
- FIM Track Length = 271.93m
- Now the longest-standing third party event in Principality Stadium’s calendar
- Fastest track record is 53.69S
- Track material is transported by 140 lorry loads to the stadium covering a cumulative distance of approximately 300 miles
- Track construction takes place over a period of seven days
- The longest Speedway temporary track event on the Speedway calendar. Its legacy and tradition means that fans come from all over the world to attend – it’s to Speedway what Monaco is to F1!
This year promises more drama and excitement as the high-octane FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX (SGP) returns to Cardiff and is sure to have a huge and undoubtedly enthusiastic crowd again, maybe more so after missing out for the last few years.
It’s one of those sports where you don’t have to be a follower to get caught up in the thrill and excitement. Take a look at the video from one of the rounds in Cardiff last year and you’ll see what we mean – HERE.
The whole family will get to see the world’s best speedway riders race against each other at speeds that can exceed 120mph on 500cc bikes with a single fixed gear and no brakes.
As well as world-class racing, a dedicated Fanzone at City Hall Lawn will provide an action-packed day of entertainment for all the family featuring live performances from special guests, autograph sessions with the SGP riders, a range of food and drink stalls and more.
The fanzone will run from around 10am through till 3:30pm so charge up your phone or camera and get ready for a great start to the weekend
As the longest-standing third party event at the stadium, SGP has become the must-attend event in Cardiff with thousands expected to be back again this year and watch the world’s best riders compete. The famous rugby stadium will be transformed into a world-class speedway venue for the night as 3,500 tonnes of dirt are specially imported to create the unique track. In fact the team are in the stadium right now preparing for the weekend event.
Riders will compete over 23 heats; for each heat four riders will complete four laps of the track on bikes that run on methanol – an environmentally-friendly fuel. Points are awarded to riders at the end of each Grand Prix meeting, with the rider who has the most points at the end of the Series being crowned World Champion.
Here’s the very latest rider information we have……
Aussie racer JACK HOLDER joined older brother Chris in becoming an FIM Speedway world champion last Saturday, but insisted…..
“I definitely want the one that he has got.”
Jack stormed to FIM Speedway of Nations gold with Australia in Vojens – claiming the country’s first world team title since they won the FIM Speedway World Cup at Peterborough 20 years ago.
His triumph comes a decade after Chris famously roared to 2012 individual Speedway GP world championship gold in Torun.
For now it’s Jack representing the Holder family on the biggest stage as he bids to improve on 14th place in the Speedway GP standings.
Jack now can’t wait to test himself at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium – a venue where Chris claimed his first Speedway GP victory in 2010, before winning again in 2012 on his way to World Championship glory in Torun.
“For sure, it’s one off the bucket list. I just have to calm the nerves down and enjoy it. Not everyone gets the chance to do it. I want to enjoy it. I will be trying my hardest – as I always do – and we will see what happens.”
Latvian racer ANDZEJS LEBEDEVS has been handed a dream call-up for the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain on Saturday.
The former European champion – this year’s Speedway GP first reserve – steps into the line-up in place of Slovak star Martin Vaculik, who suffered a broken shoulder blade in a PGE Ekstraliga match for Gorzow on July 24th.
Martin’s absence comes as a huge blow to a rider who is currently third in the Speedway GP World Championship on 53 points after taking second place at the 3W FIM Gorzow Speedway GP on June 25.
Andzejs races his first Speedway GP event outside of Latvia. He also becomes the first Latvian to compete in a Speedway GP outside of their homeland.
He last appeared in the 2014 FIM Latvian Speedway GP in home city Daugavpils, scoring three points, and this will be his third Speedway GP appearance
Great Britain’s SON2 bronze medallists TOM BRENNAN and LEON FLINT complete the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff line-up after being named as track reserves.
Tom dons the No.17 race jacket for Britain’s biggest indoor motorsport event as it celebrates its 20th visit to the Welsh capital, while Leon lines up at No.18.
They will be called into action if any of the main 16 riders are forced out of a race due to injury, illness, a starting offence or other reasons.
British Under-21 champion Tom powered to 20 points in SON2 last Friday as GB claimed the bronze medal in the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship event last Friday. The Belle Vue and Glasgow rider was also named in GB’s squad for the senior FIM SON.
He will do double duty in Cardiff as he serves as wild card when the sport’s top under-21 stars take to the track for the FIM SGP2 of Great Britain on Sunday, August 14th (1pm).
We expect 15 riders representing nine different nations will battle it out for World Championship points.
Wroclaw and Dackarna racer Maciej Janowski admits he had to hold his nerve after some start-line drama to become Poland’s first-ever FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff winner in 2017.
Janowski made history five years ago when he become the first rider from the sport’s superpower nation to top the Principality Stadium podium.
He bids to repeat the feat when the FIM British Speedway GP celebrates its 20th visit to the capital this Saturday, with the FIM SGP2 of Great Britain taking place for the sport’s under-21 stars on Sunday (1pm).
Maciej topped the 2017 heat score chart on 13 points after five rides and thought he had made a dream start to his semi-final. Despite replays showing he didn’t move before the tapes lifted, referee Christian Froschauer hit the red lights and ordered a restart.
He admits the decision left him baffled.
“I was standing in front of the referee, asking ‘what’s going on? Then I realised ‘I need to go again. Focus Magic! Don’t think about that!
“I was very disappointed about that decision. But then I realised I needed to focus. I was in a very good mood and my bike was prepared very fast on that night. I knew I just needed good reactions at the tapes, a nice first corner and then I could go to the final.
“Even in the final when we had a re-run because someone moved at the start, my mechanics said ‘maybe we should change something because you lost that start a little bit and your momentum was not so good.’ But I told them ‘watch me now – I have got this.”
Riders will compete over 20 heats, followed by two semi-finals and a final. For each heat four riders will complete four laps of the track on bikes that run on methanol – an environmentally friendly fuel. Points are awarded to riders at the end of each Grand Prix meeting, with the rider who has the most points at the end of the Series being crowned World Champion.
The event usually begins at 5pm and, depending on racing, will end around 8pm with a closing ceremony that includes an award-winning indoor firework display. Don’t forget that the dedicated Fanzone will be at Cardiff City Hall Lawn from 10am to 3:30pm setting the scene and kicking off a fantastic weekend of sport, fun and excitement for everyone.
As the longest running third party event at the Principality Stadium, the motorsport has become synonymous with Cardiff and speaking ahead of this year’s SGP PAUL BELLAMY, chairman of Sidetrack Ltd, which runs the FIM British Speedway GP on behalf of Discovery Sports Events told us…….
“This will be our first event for three years and we’re determined to celebrate this and our milestone 20 years in style.
“As well as the full throttle on track action, there is so much planned to mark the occasion and we’re expecting bumper crowds across the weekend, especially as we now have two days of race action for fans to enjoy.
“With the Wild Card having been decided following the British Championship, we’ll actually have four British riders on home soil which will be great to see.
“Cardiff is always a fantastic showcase but this year promises to be bigger and better than ever and we’re looking forward to welcoming fans old and new to the Principality Stadium; it’s just fantastic to be back.”
The FIM British Speedway Grand Prix stars won’t be the only legends on two wheels in Cardiff on Saturday as BLOOD BIKE WALES ride in as charity partner.
Playing a vital role in relieving the pressure on our massively over-stretched National Health Service, Blood Bikes Wales volunteers provide a completely free courier service for the NHS, relying solely on volunteers and public donations.
The team works around the clock assisting to deliver among other things vital blood supplies and samples, plasma, donor breast milk for specialist baby units and essential medication between the various hospitals.
It is thanks to the Blood Bikes team that Wales now has its own milk bank for premature babies, based at Singleton Hospital. The money that the charity helped to save the NHS by transporting milk from Birmingham for free allowed funds to be allocated to a much-needed Welsh facility.
The charity estimates that with every pound donated to Blood Bikes Wales, the NHS saves £5, which can be invested into frontline care.
In 2021, the charity was presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services and, having been hit hard by the pressures of the pandemic, Vice Chair TYRON STEVENSON said………
“The pandemic was hard on all charities but it was a double whammy for us as we were busier than ever, working crazy hours transporting Covid samples and tests to care homes and smaller surgeries for example, all on top of what we would normally be doing and with very limited opportunities for our usual fundraising activities.
“With petrol prices having soared as well, we’ve really had to dig deep into our reserves.
“We are an enthusiastic group of people based all over Wales and keen to make a difference. Most of us are riders but we rely as much on our non-rider volunteers and for support and fundraising and we aim to use our skills, time and enthusiasm to help the health service in Wales.
“We’re continually seeking ways to improve the charity and are absolutely delighted to have the support of the FIM British Speedway GP this year. The British round is a huge event in the Welsh sporting calendar and will help us raise much needed awareness.
“I’m also personally looking forward to meeting Speedway champion Tai Woffinden; we may spell our names differently but as myself and also my son are named Ty, I think we’ll get on well!”
It really is the whole package of entertainment you’ll be treated to this weekend, including the official opening ceremony. The closing ceremony is always worth staying for as well. There’s the trophy presentation, victory laps and the now famous and much anticipated, indoor firework display.
SGP will keep you fully up to date leading up to the big weekend in Cardiff.
Online tickets via See Tickets website close midday on Thursday. Tickets only available to purchase at the stadium from the RFU shop, Westgate Street between gates 3 & 4 on Friday & Saturday. Opening Times for ticket sales: Friday: 13:00 – 17:30 & Saturday: 9:30 – 17:30
Tickets are still on sale HERE prices start from just £20, with concessions available. Online tickets via the See Tickets website will close at midday on Thursday.
Tickets will then only be available to purchase at the stadium from the RFU shop located on Westgate Street between gates 3 & 4 on Friday & Saturday.
Opening Times for ticket sales: Friday – 1 to 5:30pm & Saturday – 9:30am to 5:30pm.
And get ready for one of the big sporting events in the South Wales calendar. The BRITISH FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX roars into the Stadium this Saturday 13th August.
